Wedgwood Jewelry

From: quinntessentialkate

Wedgwood Jewelry has long been considered the epitome of refined jewelry. It lends dignity and a level of sophistication to the appearance of the man or woman who wears it.

Wedgwood Jewelry used to be very hard to find. Before the advent of eBay, collectors went to estate auctions, antique shops, bazaars, flea markets and jewelry stores to find them. Collectors had to "settle" for only those pieces they could find readily, and pay the price asked for them. Not any more. Thanks to eBay, collectors can now choose from many more Wedgwood items, at a variety of prices, and increase their collections.

What does this mean to you --- a person who has a piece of Wedgwood Jewelry to sell? Well, collectors collect certain things. They are quite often looking for one special piece to round out their collection. And you may have it!

What Are Some Things Collectors/Buyers May Be Looking For?

•Colors: In addition to the famous "Wedgwood Blue" which is sort of a cornflower blue, Wedgwoods come in lilac, pink, green, teal, yellow (maise), terracotta, black, greyish, and a darker blue. There are also tri-colored pieces. A collector might be looking for a single piece in any of these colors.

•Design: There are many different collections of Wedgwood each featuring its own distinctive design. For instance, the scenes from mythology such as the Diana and the Stag, Hebe and the Eagle, the sacrifices to Diana, and the various Muses are popular to collect. Someone might want ONE of each of these images and there are many of them. Many people collect the Cherubs or Putti in their various escapades. Some people collect only Venus and Cupid. Other people prefer the Dancing Hours. Some collect the profiles of famous people, like Charles and Diana. While many people like the newer collections of hearts, stars, daisies, etc. And the images from the King Tut exhibit are always extremely popular. So, the design itself is very important.

•Type of Jewelry: Men may like ships, horses, signs of the Zodiac, or Roman figures in their cufflinks or tie tacks. Women may be looking for a particular design on a pair of earrings to match a brooch, bracelet or pendant.

•Setting: Wedgwoods can be purchased by themselves as just plaques or they can be already mounted in a setting. The most popular settings include pure gold and silver or vermeil, but they may also be set in pewter or other metals. There should be some indication on the piece as to what type of setting it is. Does it have the lion passant? Or 14kt GF or is it 10kt G? What are those other symbols? Does it say JW? You will want to look at the symbols to find out what the setting is then describe them to the best of your ability in your listing or try to show them in the photos.
•Is It Genuine: Each piece of Wedgwood jewelry should be marked Wedgwood or Wedgwood Made in England across the back. There may be other numbers and letters there as well that indicate the age of the piece. If you have a cameo that looks like Wedgwood blue but is not marked Wedgwood on the back, ten-to-one it is not a real Wedgwood. Sometimes the back of the stone has been covered up by the setting, but many of the images are common enough that a collector will know if it is real on sight.

•Rare: There are some genuinely rare Wedgwoods to be sure. But there are many other lovely pieces that are not very rare at all and need to be sold for a reasonable price. Do your homework. Watch the listings to find out which ones come up all the time and which ones don't. That will give you some indication of the rarity of your particular piece. Pricing it right is another way to help it sell faster.

•Condition: Examine your item carefully before describing it. Is it in perfect condition? Is the stone dirty? The setting tarnished? Are there any fine cracks, chips, or lines in the stone itself? Are they on the surface only or do they go straight through the stone? Are any pieces of the design obviously missing, like missing petals from a flower? Mention them in your listing. Don't make the buyer discover them after the transaction is completed.

The old adage says "A picture tells a 1000 words." As you can see, a good picture is imperative when putting your Wedgwood jewelry item up for auction. Your prospective buyer may be looking very closely at that tiny raised design. Be sure to take a good shot to showcase your piece to its best advantage.
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See our Wedgwood Jewelry available at: Penny's Antiques & Wedgwood Pantry

For more Wedgwood info, see our Squidoo Lens at: Wedgwood

Penny and Doug
cupenny@tds.net
Penny's Antiques & Wedgwood Pantry



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